Winter checklist to protect your vehicles

It’s that time of year again when overnight frosts mean you’ve got to spend an extra 10 minutes de-icing your vehicle in the morning.   The cold winter weather can create some pretty challenging driving conditions.   Motorists are 50% more likely to breakdown in winter according to the RAC.
Snow, ice, wind and rain cause havoc with driving conditions so it’s important to get your vehicles ready so you don’t get caught out.  This is especially important for businesses who rely on their vehicles such as haulage companies, courier fleets and farmers.
The AA has compiled this useful winter motoring checklist to ensure both you and your car are prepared:
Check your car

• Antifreeze– check coolant level regularly and, if required, top-up with a mixture of the correct type of antifreeze. Your garage should check concentration to ensure adequate cold temperature protection. (The Witham Group have three choices of anti-freeze to suit a range of requirements – click here for more details.)
• Battery– the most common cause of winter breakdowns. A battery more than five years old may struggle in the cold – get it checked and replaced if necessary to avoid the inconvenience of an unplanned failure.
• Fuel– keep at least a quarter of a tank in case of unexpected delay.
• Windscreen – reduce dazzle from the low sun by keeping the screen clean inside and out.  Now is a good time to renew worn wiper blades.
• Screen wash– use a 50% mix of a good quality screen wash to reduce the chance of freezing in frosty weather (The Witham Group’s new high quality screen wash is now available).
• Lights – check and clean all lights regularly to make sure you can see and be seen clearly. Carry spare bulbs.
• Tyres– should have at least 3mm of tread for winter motoring. Consider winter tyres for improved safety. Check pressures at least every fortnight.
• Locks and door seals– stop doors freezing shut with a thin coat of polish or lubricant such as Qualube Multi-Ease Aerosol rubber door seals.  A squirt of water dispersant (such as Qualube water displacement fluid ) in locks will help stop them freezing.

Winter emergency kit

• Make up an emergency kit at the start of winter and keep it in the car
• Blanket, rug or sleeping bag
• Shovel
• Ice scraper and de-icer
• Torch and batteries
• Snacks – chocolate or cereal bars
• Extra screen wash

Here at The Witham Group, we stock a range of products that can help our customers prepare their vehicles for winter and avoid costly breakdowns:

• Qualube Hybrid Concentrated Coolant
• Qualguard Hybrid 50/50 Coolant
• Qualube Universal Blue Anti-freeze
• Witham Screenwash
• Qualube water displacement fluid

For more information please visit our website or call 01522 521192